The event was taking place in Houstoun Square for the first time, having been in Paisley in recent years, with fire appliance fans young and old lapping up the popular event.

The day kicked off with a parade of classic fire engines from years gone by from the town’s fire station to the town centre, led by the 1st Houston Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Pipe Band.

In the square, visitors were able to get up close with the yester-year engines, with firefighters providing other entertainment such as chip-pan fire demos.

The event was run by Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Heritage Trust.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall was at the centre of proceedings when she was ‘rescued’ from a car during a demonstration by firefighters.

She said: “The Fire Engine Rally has always been a well-attended event and it was great to see it proving popular in its new home of Johnstone.

“Our events programme aims to generate a boost for own town centres by bringing in a crowd, and the feedback we had from Johnstone traders was positive.

“The fire engines are always a big attraction for young and old, and the level of attention they get is testament to the hard work of the volunteers from the trust to lovingly preserve and restore the vehicles.

“It is also a great chance for the firefighters to meet the public and showcase the great work that they do while spreading the fire safety message.

“My thanks go to them for keeping the crowd entertained and for helping to rescue me once again!” Local MP Douglas Alexander also commented: “The fire engine rally was a fantastic family day out.

“It was great to see such a big turnout in the rally’s new Johnstone home.

“Kids and adults alike were thrilled at the opportunity to get up close to these magnificent machines from throughout the decades.

“The parade in the morning and the entertainment in the afternoon ensured families were kept happy throughout the day.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Heritage Trust for putting on the event. They also deserve a huge amount of credit for keeping these vintage vehicles in such good condition over all these years.”